dual suspension help

had a salsa el santo, sold it because i could never get the air shock set up to give me the "smooth" ride everyone always said a FS bike would give me.

went to an LBS, gave a guy 50 bucks to "fit" me and give me a bunch of measurements that were meaningless because the custom fit bike he suggested stretched me out over the top tube and the soft settings he gave me for the fork and rear shock had the bike sagging and bouncing like a low rider (specialized epic).

demo'd one of the last GF rumblefish i could find, and had a killer deal on it, but never bought it because i couldn't get the shock set up right even with the LBS's help--even they admitted that i'd have to set it firm as hell for my weight as not to bottom out the suspension.

i'm not that fat, but at 230 and 6'3'' i find that i'm off of the weight scale most air shocks provide, so by the time i add enough air to get over the sag it's firm as hell. i was advised to try a coil spring AM, but those have more or less disappeared and newer bike designs aren't always coil spring friendly.

i keep being told that i'm not that big or heavy, but i have at least half of a foot and 80-100 pounds on just about every guy i see on a FS riding the local trails.

how durable a bike or component is usually has a lot to do with how heavy and ugly it is.

Dude, I'm short and fat. currently 230 lbs after a very lazy winter. I'm riding my Giant Trance and RIP 9 dual suspension bikes just fine. Either someone isn't setting up your shock correctly or it's the design of the bike. Also, go demo a Trance or Anthem. They are easy to set up. Just fill the shock to your current weight and add/release air from there to find the proper sag. Also, those shocks on the Trek/Fisher rigs need to be filled properly. It might be possible the guy at the bike store you were at didn't fill the shock properly. There is detailed information on Treks web site on how to fill those shocks. Watch the video and go back to try out that Fisher.

At 230lbs, you should have no problem getting set up on most any FS bike your heart desires unless it's something very 'stupid-light'. And no superlight wheelsets.

I'm 6'5" and have been as heavy as 300lbs, and have not had a single problem with FS bikes running air shocks. In fact, if you weigh 250lbs to 300lbs, you'll have a harder time finding coil spring shocks that work for you with proper sag (usually about 25% to 30%) than you will finding an air shock.

It's also possible that your expectations for what full suspension brings to the table are out of line. You aren't going to totally eliminate the bumps in the trail, nor do you want to. FS merely takes the 'edge' off the bumps to one degree or another.

Also remember that (generally speaking) the more plush the suspension, the less efficient it will be pedaling, especially up a hill. There is no such thing as a free lunch in this respect, although you will find that 'some lunches are cheaper than others' so to speak (meaning that some designs and parts choices will work better than others, but there is no magic bullet).

I had to chime in on this one too as I am 6' 6" and 280. I've been looking for my first FS bike for more than a month and I have been working with the Fat Tire Farm here in Portland Oregon. This is after being laughed at by three other LBS in my area.

I started out wanting the Specialzed Enduro Evo because of my background in motorcycling and thinking the coil was the way to go.

After MUCH research by me and great support by Fat Tire Farm and PUSH, I've been talked into air. I ordered an Enduro Expert with a PUSH'd Rock Shock rear and stock Fox 36 front fork setup.

I went with the Rock shock because at my weight the FOX RP23 shock would be set at 100% of it's design capacity and the Rock shock would be more like 70%.

All this to say that the industry "experts" have sold me that it is possible to set a FS bike for a bigger guy than you who likes to jump. I have a small Jump track at my house. I'll report back once I get some miles on the bike.

I've been riding a (too small for me) P2 for years and lately I've started riding allot more. I am really looking forward to FS.

I've got to think that you might have your expectations out of whack. Think about it, is there any off-road vehicle that gives you a smooth ride? No because they are built to handle the big hits and be durable. They will be smoother than a hardtail, but if your looking for a "Cadillac" ride, keep in mind that is only achieved on roads.

I've got to think that you might have your expectations out of whack. Think about it, is there any off-road vehicle that gives you a smooth ride? No because they are built to handle the big hits and be durable. They will be smoother than a hardtail, but if your looking for a "Cadillac" ride, keep in mind that is only achieved on roads.

my issue is that every FS bike i've ridden set up in a way to minimize bob was not much smoother than my steel hardtail. while i can assume that it won't be plush, it seems stupid for me to spend close to 3k for a bike that feels like my steelie, costs more, and bobs.

how durable a bike or component is usually has a lot to do with how heavy and ugly it is.